[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – April 1998


There are many possible ways to measure the relative "importance" or "size" of LISTSERV sites: number of lists, number of subscribers, number of messages delivered, etc. In most cases, the number of messages delivered is used to rank mailing list managers, because it is the most accurate measurement of the amount of activity on the server. But, depending on what you are looking for, other variables may be more appropriate. There are currently three LISTSERV "Top 20" lists, ranking the various servers according to:

In addition, you can view a list of the Top 20 lists in the network (by number of subscribers).

What do these numbers mean exactly?

The statistics are gathered daily by a monitor at L-Soft which polls all the LISTSERV sites that participate in the "open" LISTSERV network over the worldwide Internet. Corporate servers operating in a "closed" environment are not included.

The statistics are organized in monthly reports. The message volume figures are a flat average of the accumulated traffic for the entire month. Thus, a server that delivers 300,000 messages per month will show a daily average of 10,000 messages. In practice, there is a lot less traffic during the weekend, and even during business days there can be significant fluctuations (~30%). The list statistics (number of lists, number of subscribers, largest lists in the network) are measured as of the last day in the month.

For the current month, the message volume figures are averaged based on the number of days that have elapsed. In practice, the figures are not very meaningful in the first few days, especially if the month starts on a weekend. In that case it is best to refer to the previous month for more accurate figures.

A fourth "Top 20" list is available for the more technically oriented: Number of messages generated by the server. This corresponds to the number of mail messages created by the server while processing postings to its mailing lists. LISTSERV delivers its mail using an intelligent mail delivery function called DISTRIBUTE, which improves mail delivery times and reduces bandwidth usage by spreading the delivery chore over scores of participating servers. Each of these servers processes the recipients for its service area (typically its organization or campus). In most cases, DISTRIBUTE simply alters the manner in which the mail is delivered, and the number of messages forwarded to other sites for optimized delivery is roughly equal to the number of messages received by other sites for the same purpose. In some cases, however, this is not the case, either because the server elected to serve a much wider service area than its own organization, or because it is explicitly forwarding all its deliveries to another machine (for instance, many mainframe-based servers forward their mail to a workstation or PC for delivery).


Top 20 sites by volume delivered daily (APR98, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    3361683  PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2    1102762  EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  3     813140  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4     590357  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  5     573250  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  6     570084  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  7     453691  SEGATE (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  8     451022  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
  9     413012  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
 10     404297  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 11     348324  MAILER.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 12     311333  LISTSERV.15SECONDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 13     302790  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14     299560  LISTSERV.GMD.DE (OpenVMS V7.1 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 15     297387  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.0a)
 16     265641  LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17     253830  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 18     243843  NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.32)
 19     241716  AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4)
 20     238422  ETO.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (30 Apr 1998)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     3384821  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  2     3159303  EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  3     2260496  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4     1578427  ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  5     1078611  GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  6      748610  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  7      463865  LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8      393539  LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  9      380830  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
 10      214268  PUBLISHER.SSRN.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.0a)
 11      203400  LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 12      199983  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 13      193375  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
 14      154579  LISTS.DISCOVERY.COM (IRIX 6.2)
 15      138495  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
 16      126643  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 17      125813  ACM.ORG (AIX 4.2)
 18      119970  LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.4)
 19      113309  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 20      105365  LISTSERV.OKSTATE.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (30 Apr 1998)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1  3832  LISTSERV.OKSTATE.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  2  2271  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)
  3  1657  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
  4  1569  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  5  1469  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
  6  1427  LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  7  1378  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
  8  1367  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  9  1153  TC.UMN.EDU (Solaris 2.4)
 10  1104  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.0a)
 11  1066  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 12   901  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 13   852  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14   810  LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 15   784  UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (VM/ESA 2.1.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 16   768  LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.4)
 17   750  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.1.5)
 18   749  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 19   729  AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4)
 20   711  VENUS.VCU.EDU (AIX 4.1)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (APR98, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    1102762  EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  2    1035002  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  3    1031246  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4     740856  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  5     720818  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  6     599124  MITVMA (VM/ESA 2.2.0)
  7     577752  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  8     530940  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.5.1)
  9     501747  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 10     442813  LISTS.PSU.EDU (VM/ESA 2.2)
 11     393671  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 12     363918  LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 13     349725  LISTSERV.15SECONDS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14     344875  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.0a)
 15     321659  NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.0.32)
 16     295099  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 17     290539  AMERICAN.EDU (AIX 3.2.4)
 18     278341  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 19     257447  ETO.UNTPDC.ORG (IRIX 6.2 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 20     245475  LISTSERV.MSN.COM (Windows NT 3.51 + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (30 Apr 1998)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      269202  EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  2       95017  SYMPOSIUM-WEBCAST@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  3       71219  DEVELOPER-COM@LISTSERV.EARTHWEB.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  4       68391  NETGUIDE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  5       68139  ADVISOR@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  6       63145  ABOUTWORKNEWS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  7       50884  TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  8       39328  MOMSONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  9       38772  SNACKS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 10       32852  NEW-KEYWORDS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 11       31754  SAGEONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 12       31754  SCOUT-REPORT@LISTS.INTERNIC.NET (Solaris 2.5.1)
 13       31139  EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 14       31137  MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 15       30173  CHRISTIANITY-ONLINE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 16       27063  AHHPULSE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 17       27048  SEARCH-ENGINE-REPORT@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 18       26986  UCSMON@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 19       26972  WEBREFERENCE-UPDATE@LISTSERV.INTERNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 20       26947  SCOUT-REPORT@HYPATIA.CS.WISC.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1a)